TACKLING VEHICLE CRIME IN PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND OPERATION COBRA HAMPSHIRE CONSTABULARY, PORTSMOUTH BASIC COMMAND UNIT, 2004 THE PROBLEM: From April 2002 to March 2003, vehicle crime in Portsmouth, England increased 16 percent. Strategies in place, much of it focused on offender detection and generic crime prevention, were not working. A Crime Reduction Officer/Analyst reviewed 9 months of data (in the past only several weeks were reviewed at a time to determine patterns) uncovering more robust patterns: 1989 to 1998 vehicles were the most at risk, items stolen did not have property markings so resale was easy, vehicle crime concentrated in many repeat locations, in fact 49 percent of vehicle crimes occurred in just 167 of Portsmouth’s 1,600 streets. ANALYSIS: The Crime Reduction Officer/Analyst identified eight underlying conditions contributing to the high level of vehicle crimes. These conditions if turned around could significantly reduce vehicle crime in Portsmouth. RESPONSE: Engaging a wide variety of partners, including the media, the group developed Operation Cobra. It relied on a graded or tiered approach to reducing auto theft; different strategies were applied depending upon the level of vehicle crime on a street. Streets with 5 to 7 vehicle crimes used a victim-focused strategy (such as customized warnings and property marking). Those with 8 to 10 vehicle crimes focused on victims but incorporated environmental and situational changes to the location. Streets with 11 or more vehicle crimes focused on victim and location but also adopted an offender-focused strategy making greater use of forensics and intelligence gathering. ASSESSMENT: In the first 9 months of Operation Cobra, the number of vehicles stolen among 1989 and 1998 vehicles declined 25 percent; there was a 33 percent reduction in thefts from vehicles; a 37 percent reduction in vehicle crime in streets that had experienced 19 or more vehicle crimes from April 2002 to December 2002; and a 58 percent reduction in vehicle crime in streets experiencing between 5 and 10 vehicle crimes from April 2002 to December 2002. Overall, after 9 months, vehicle crime in Portsmouth fell by 31 percent from 3,235 vehicles to 2,235 vehicles. Similar reductions were not experienced elsewhere in Hampshire. ______________________________________________________________________ 1 JUDGE’S COMMENTARY responses that might reduce crime in certain types of locations. Portsmouth’s vehicle crime reduction effort effectively illustrates many of Lastly, adequate baseline measures that problem-oriented policing most describe the problem’s dimensions make important principles. it easier to measure impact once responses are implemented. The First, specifically identifying the thoroughness of the scanning and the problem and then analyzing it is key to analysis here provided many quantitative tailoring more effective responses. When measures from which Portsmouth could Portsmouth first attempted to reduce the assess impact and persuasively claim the vehicle crime problem no specific reduction was due primarily to the scanning or analysis was conducted and Department, the City and the Partners the agency relied on rather generic efforts. reduction responses. Rather than a reduction in the problem, the problem Introduction increased. It is at this point that the Department tried to pinpoint the problem Portsmouth, England, one of Europe’s (through scanning) and undertake an most densely populated cities, is in the analysis. The scanning and analysis county of Hampshire. More than revealed different dimensions to the 185,000 people live in Portsmouth and it problem than originally thought opening is also home to the British Royal Navy. the way for analysis-based, tailored The City draws 5 million visitors a year responses, which are more likely to to its beaches and tourist attractions. succeed in reducing the problem. Portsmouth is one of Hampshire Constabulary’s ten policing districts with Second, knowledge of crime theory is 350 police officers assigned to the City. important because it offers some shortcuts within analysis. For instance, Experiencing high levels of vehicle knowing that crime tends to concentrate, crime the City of Portsmouth developed the Crime Reduction Officer knew to a crime and disorder strategy as part of look for patterns by offender, place, the National Vehicle Crime Reduction target/victim. Among the patterns, Target beginning in April, 2002 (See Portsmouth found that a small number of Appendix A, table 1).1 streets accounted for much of the vehicle The City set a three-year reduction target crime and that only certain years of cars of 17 percent, 6 percent for 2002/2003, 6 were most at risk. Aware of research percent for 2003/2004, and 5 percent for about reducing repeat victimization led 2004/2005.2 A number of strategies the Crime Reduction Officer to were already in place, including: recommend a tiered (graded) response based on the intensity of the problem in • targeting known offenders, a street or hot spot and his knowledge of • applying “designing out crime” situational crime prevention (the principles through the planning companion of problem-oriented process, policing) provided a framework to craft ______________________________________________________________________ 2 • introducing Neighborhood Targets are quite important within the Wardens in two areas of the city3 UK government. While there are 43 • seeking drug rehabilitation for separate and independent Police Forces vehicle crime offenders with in England and Wales there is a high drug histories, degree of central government direction • multi-agency coordinating through and control of Forces both through the “Communities Against funding and through a performance Drugs” initiative using CCTV management culture driven by the system and developing Secured setting of performance targets for all Car Parks4, activities that the central government • utilizing traffic wardens5 and the considers to be a priority. There is Abandoned Vehicle Unit, constant monitoring and reporting of • Crime Concern6 and Auto Glass how the local constabularies and prevention scheme, governments do against these targets. • enlisting youth crime prevention The Police in England work closely with workers, and partners in other local agencies and with stakeholders in communities. The Crime • signing up the Fire Service to and Disorder Act puts a statutory duty deliver anti-vehicle arson for reducing crime and disorder not just education. on Police Authorities but on Local Authorities (city and town councils), as The City identified some additional steps well as health authorities. As a result, for to help meet the targets: major crime and disorder issues joint efforts are more easily adopted, • identifying what works everyone is expected to meet targets. elsewhere, • conducting analysis to identify The Hampshire Constabulary appointed areas requiring additional Chief Inspector of Territorial Operations CCTV coverage, Julie Earle as the single performance • identifying areas in the heart of champion accountable for Hampshire’s Portsmouth in need of vehicle crime reduction results. The situational improvements, constabulary also appointed a dedicated • increasing use of court orders to Crime Reduction Officer, Alan deter offenders, and Edmunds, to review the problem and • increasing the number of coordinate daily activity. They were Secured Car Parks tasked to apply a problem-oriented policing approach to the problem After the first 9 months of the strategy, (SARA - scanning, analysis, response, vehicle crime rose. It became clear that and assessment). the 6 percent target reduction would not be met, in fact, it was projected that SCANNING there would be an 18.8 percent increase for the year end 2002/2003. The problem The Crime Reduction Officer reviewed required a new strategy. information and data. He looked at police vehicle crime reports for April ______________________________________________________________________ 3 through December 2002, and examined • 865 of the 900 stolen vehicles data from other sources including the were manufactured between the Crime and Disorder audit, Fire and years 1986 and 2000, Rescue federal database, Crime • 453 of the 900 stolen vehicles Stoppers, drug intelligence information, were manufactured between data from other city agencies 1989 and 1997, representing 50 (Engineering and Design, Leisure and percent of the stolen vehicle 7 Tourism, Trading Standards , CCTV problem, Office, Housing Service, Marketing and • Of the 35 vehicles stolen that Tourism), and information from were manufactured between informal interviews with residents, 2001 and 2002, almost all were Neighborhood Watch participants, hotel mopeds, personnel, and motor vehicle companies. • Three vehicle makes/models accounted for 25 percent of The vehicle crime data showed robust overall problem (226 vehicle patterns related to victims/targets, crimes) -- Ford Escort (98 locations, and offenders. Portsmouth has stolen), Vauxhall Astra (68 very few homes with private garages, stolen), Ford Fiesta (60 stolen) there is little off street parking of any (See table 3, Appendix A). kind and only one secured car park • Slightly more than half of the within the City. These circumstances victims were between the ages of make Portsmouth rife for high levels of 20 and 39, vehicle crime. • Most vehicles were stolen from near the victim’s address, Patterns found within Victim/Target for Thefts from Vehicle data: Based on • There was a pattern